[[Image:Jonah Paffhausen.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan]]

[[Image:Jonah Paffhausen.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan]]

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His Beatitude, the Most Blessed '''Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington''' is the [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA). He was elected as metropolitan on [[November 12]], 2008, and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[December 28]], 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.

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His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington''' was the [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA) until the Holy Synod of Bishops requested and accepted His Eminence's resignation on [[July 7]], 2012. He was elected as metropolitan on [[November 12]], 2008, and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[December 28]], 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.

==Life==

==Life==

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Eleven days later, on [[November 12]], Bishop Jonah was elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Pittsburgh. His formal [[enthronement]] in Washington, D.C., was on [[December 28]], 2008, at [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|St. Nicholas Cathedral]].

Eleven days later, on [[November 12]], Bishop Jonah was elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Pittsburgh. His formal [[enthronement]] in Washington, D.C., was on [[December 28]], 2008, at [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|St. Nicholas Cathedral]].

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After an episcopate that became increasingly controversial, Metr. Jonah submitted a resignation as the first hierarch of the OCA on [[July 6]], 2012.<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/metropolitan-jonah-tenders-resignation] Metropolitan Jonah tenders resignation</ref> On [[July 16]], 2012, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA issued a "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah".<ref>[http://oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2012/2012-0716-holy-synod-statement.pdf] Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah</ref>

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title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], <br>[[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|

title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], <br>[[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|

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years=2009-present|

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years=2009-2012|

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after=[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]]}}

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==References==

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<references/>

==Sources==

==Sources==

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[[Category:Bishops]]

[[Category:Bishops]]

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[[Category:21st-century bishops]]

[[Category:Bishops of Fort Worth]]

[[Category:Bishops of Fort Worth]]

[[Category:Bishops of New York]]

[[Category:Bishops of New York]]

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[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]

[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]

[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Paffhausen]]

[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Paffhausen]]

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[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Paffhausen]]

[[Category:St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]

[[Category:St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]

Revision as of 11:40, November 16, 2012

Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington was the primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) until the Holy Synod of Bishops requested and accepted His Eminence's resignation on July 7, 2012. He was elected as metropolitan on November 12, 2008, and was formally enthroned on December 28, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.

Contents

Life

James Paffhausen was born in Chicago, Illinois, and baptized into the Episcopal Church. His family later moved to La Jolla, California, near San Diego. In 1978, he was received into the Orthodox Church at Our Lady of Kazan Church (Moscow Patriarchate) while studying at the University of California - San Diego. James later transferred to UC - Santa Cruz and helped to establish an OCF chapter there.

After graduation from UCSC, James went on to study at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, graduating in 1985 with an M.Div. and again in 1988 with an M.Th. in Dogmatic Theology. In 1989, he began doctoral studies at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, but interrupted his studies to spend a year in Russia, working for Russkiy Palomnik in the publishing arm of the Moscow Patriarchate. During his time in Russia, he was introduced to Russian spirituality and its particular form of monastic life.

Hmk. Jonah returned to his home state of California, serving a number of mission parishes there and later given the obedience to establish a monastery. In 1996, St. John of San Francisco Monastery was founded in Point Reyes, California (later moving to Manton). During his tenure as abbot, Fr. Jonah grew the monastic community to more than fifteen members. In this period, he also worked to establish Californian missions in Merced, Sonora, Chico, Eureka, Redding, and Susanville, among others, and in Kona, Hawaii.

After an episcopate that became increasingly controversial, Metr. Jonah submitted a resignation as the first hierarch of the OCA on July 6, 2012.[1] On July 16, 2012, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA issued a "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah".[2]